4510.73
Litigation of all issues concerning driver's licenses.

(A)
It is the
intent of this section to allow all issues concerning driver's licenses to be
litigated in a single forum, not to eliminate any forum venue in existence on
the effective date of this section.

(B)
Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised Code to the contrary, any court
whose jurisdiction has been invoked under this chapter or any other chapter of
the Revised Code regarding a driver's license matter, other than a matter
involving a commercial driver's license, is hereby conferred concurrent
jurisdiction to adjudicate all issues and appeals regarding that driver's
license matter, including issues of validity, suspension, and, with regard to
any suspension imposed by the bureau of motor vehicles, driving privileges.
Nothing in this section shall be construed as applying to any issue involving a
commercial driver's license, except that a court may adjudicate an issue that
does not relate to a commercial driver's license but involves a holder of a
commercial driver's license so long as the court does not alter the status of
that holder's commercial driver's license. In the event that another court has
obtained jurisdiction over one or more driver's license suspensions imposed by
the bureau involving the same driver's license holder, that jurisdiction may
not be divested by an action filed under this section unless that court
transfers its jurisdiction over that holder's driver's license issue by
issuance of a court order.

(1)
The court's
jurisdiction over a particular driver's license issue may be invoked by a
motion, appeal, or petition filed by a holder of a driver's license. Any such
motion, appeal, or petition shall state the issue with respect to which the
court's jurisdiction is invoked.

(2)
When a
court's jurisdiction over a driver's license issue is properly invoked, that
court shall adjudicate all issues and appeals brought before the court
regarding that issue, unless the motion, appeal, or petition is
withdrawn.

(D)
Any court
whose jurisdiction is invoked under this section shall have the discretionary
authority to issue a stay of any suspension pending resolution of the matters
before the court. This provision does not alter or eliminate any automatic stay
provision provided for elsewhere in the Revised Code.

(E)
Any court
whose jurisdiction is invoked under this section, in its discretion, may order
the bureau to renew the holder's driver's license pending resolution of the
matters before the court, provided that the license is not more than six months
expired prior to the date of application for renewal. The court, in its
discretion, also may order the bureau to renew the holder's driver's license in
its final judgment, provided that the license is not more than six months
expired prior to the date of application for renewal.

(F)
If
jurisdiction is invoked under this section in a court of common pleas or county
court, the prosecuting attorney of the county in which the case is pending
shall represent the registrar in the proceedings; provided, that if the
driver's license holder resides in a municipal corporation that lies within the
jurisdiction of a county court, the city director of law, village solicitor, or
similar chief legal officer of the municipal corporation shall represent the
registrar in the proceedings. In a municipal court, the registrar shall be
represented in the resulting proceedings as provided in section
1901.34 of the Revised Code. At
the election of the registrar, the attorney general may enter the proceedings
at any time and henceforth represent the registrar in the case.

(G)
Either party
may appeal the final judgment of the court. Any such appeal shall be taken as
provided in section
1901.30 or
1907.30 of the Revised Code and
shall conform with Chapter 2505. of the Revised Code.